Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Ribble Valley Borough Council - Electoral review - August 2017 - AWS
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Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Ribble Valley Borough Council Electoral review August 2017
Translations and other formats To get this report in another language or in a large-print or Braille version contact the Local Government Boundary Commission for England: Tel: 0330 500 1525 Email: reviews@lgbce.org.uk The mapping in this report is reproduced from OS mapping by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD 100049926 2017
Table of Contents
Summary .................................................................................................................... 1
Who we are and what we do .................................................................................. 1
Electoral review ...................................................................................................... 1
Why Ribble Valley?................................................................................................. 1
Our proposals for Ribble Valley .............................................................................. 1
What is the Local Government Boundary Commission for England? ......................... 2
1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 3
What is an electoral review? ................................................................................... 3
Consultation ............................................................................................................ 3
How will the recommendations affect you? ............................................................. 4
2 Analysis and final recommendations ................................................................... 5
Submissions received ............................................................................................. 5
Electorate figures .................................................................................................... 5
Number of councillors ............................................................................................. 6
Ward boundaries consultation ................................................................................ 6
Draft recommendations consultation ...................................................................... 6
Final recommendations .......................................................................................... 7
North ....................................................................................................................... 8
South-west ............................................................................................................ 10
Clitheroe ............................................................................................................... 12
Whalley and south-east ........................................................................................ 14
Conclusions.............................................................................................................. 17
Summary of electoral arrangements ..................................................................... 17
Parish electoral arrangements .............................................................................. 17
3 What happens next? ......................................................................................... 19
Equalities.................................................................................................................. 19
Appendix A ............................................................................................................... 20
Final recommendations for Ribble Valley ............................................................. 20
Appendix B ............................................................................................................... 23
Outline map .......................................................................................................... 23
Key ........................................................................................................................... 24
Appendix C ............................................................................................................... 25
Submissions received ........................................................................................... 25
Appendix D............................................................................................................... 26
Glossary and abbreviations .................................................................................. 26Summary
Who we are and what we do
1 The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is an
independent body set up by Parliament. We are not part of government or any
political party. We are accountable to Parliament through a committee of MPs
chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons.
2 Our main role is to carry out electoral reviews of local authorities throughout
England.
Electoral review
3 An electoral review examines and proposes new electoral arrangements for a
local authority. A local authority’s electoral arrangements decide:
• How many councillors are needed
• How many wards or electoral divisions should there be, where are their
boundaries and what should they be called
• How many councillors should represent each ward or division
Why Ribble Valley?
4 We have conducted a review of Ribble Valley Borough Council as the value of
each vote in borough council elections varies depending on where you live in Ribble
Valley. Some councillors currently represent many more or fewer voters than others.
This is ‘electoral inequality’. Our aim is to create ‘electoral equality’, where votes are
as equal as possible, ideally within 10% of being exactly equal.
Our proposals for Ribble Valley
• Ribble Valley should be represented by 40 councillors, the same number
as there are now.
• Ribble Valley should have 26 wards, two more than there are now.
• The boundaries of 17 wards should change. Seven will stay the same.
5 We have now finalised our recommendations for electoral arrangements
for Ribble Valley.
1What is the Local Government Boundary Commission
for England?
6 The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent
body set up by Parliament.1
7 The members of the Commission are:
• Professor Colin Mellors OBE (Chair)
• Peter Knight CBE, DL
• Alison Lowton
• Peter Maddison QPM
• Sir Tony Redmond
• Chief Executive: Jolyon Jackson CBE
1 Under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
21 Introduction
8 This electoral review was carried out to ensure that:
• The wards in Ribble Valley are in the best possible places to help the
Council carry out its responsibilities effectively.
• The number of voters represented by each councillor is approximately the
same across the borough.
What is an electoral review?
9 Our three main considerations are to:
• Improve electoral equality by equalising the number of electors each
councillor represents
• Reflect community identity
• Provide for effective and convenient local government
10 Our task is to strike the best balance between them when making our
recommendations. Our powers, as well as the guidance we have provided for
electoral reviews and further information on the review process, can be found on our
website at www.lgbce.org.uk
Consultation
11 We wrote to the Council to ask its views on the appropriate number of
councillors for Ribble Valley. We then held two periods of consultation on warding
patterns for the borough. The submissions received during consultation have
informed our draft and final recommendations.
12 This review was conducted as follows:
Stage starts Description
15 November 2016 Number of councillors decided
22 November 2016 Start of consultation seeking views on new wards
30 January 2017 End of consultation; we begin analysing submissions and
forming draft recommendations
11 April 2017 Publication of draft recommendations, start of second
consultation
19 June 2017 End of consultation; we begin analysing submissions and
forming final recommendations
29 August 2017 Publication of final recommendations
3How will the recommendations affect you?
13 The recommendations will determine how many councillors will serve on the
Council. They will also decide which ward you vote in, which other communities are
in that ward, and, in some cases, which parish or town council ward you vote in.
Your ward name may also change.
42 Analysis and final recommendations
14 Legislation2 states that our recommendations should not be based only on how
many electors3 there are now, but also on how many there are likely to be in the five
years after the publication of our final recommendations. We must also try to
recommend strong, clearly identifiable boundaries for our wards.
15 In reality, we are unlikely to be able to create wards with exactly the same
number of electors in each; we have to be flexible. However, we try to keep the
number of electors represented by each councillor as close to the average for the
council as possible.
16 We work out the average number of electors per councillor for each individual
local authority by dividing the electorate by the number of councillors, as shown on
the table below.
2016 2022
Electorate of Ribble Valley 45,441 48,027
Number of councillors 40 40
Average number of 1,136 1,201
electors per councillor
17 When the number of electors per councillor in a ward is within 10% of the
average for the authority, we refer to the ward as having ‘good electoral equality’. All
of our proposed wards for Ribble Valley will have good electoral equality by 2022.
18 Our recommendations cannot affect the external boundaries of the borough or
result in changes to postcodes. They do not take into account parliamentary
constituency boundaries. The recommendations will not have an effect on local
taxes, house prices, or car and house insurance premiums and we are not able to
take into account any representations which are based on these issues.
Submissions received
19 See Appendix C for details of the submissions received. All submissions may
be viewed at our offices by appointment, or on our website at www.lgbce.org.uk
Electorate figures
20 The Council submitted electorate forecasts for 2022, a period five years on
from the scheduled publication of our final recommendations in 2017. These
forecasts were broken down to polling district level and predicted an increase in the
electorate of around 5.7% by 2022. The Council identified the locations of new
housing developments expected to give rise to significant increases in the electorate.
2 Schedule 2 to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
3 Electors refers to the number of people registered to vote, not the whole adult population.
521 We considered the information provided by the Council and are satisfied that
the projected figures are the best available at the present time. We have used these
figures to produce our final recommendations.
Number of councillors
22 Ribble Valley Borough Council currently has 40 councillors. We have looked at
the evidence provided by the Council and have concluded that keeping this number
the same will make sure the Council can carry out its roles and responsibilities
effectively.
23 We therefore invited proposals for new patterns of wards that would be
represented by 40 councillors – for example, 40 one-councillor wards, 20 two-
councillor wards, or a mix of one-, two- and three-councillor wards.
24 We received no submissions about the number of councillors in response to our
consultation on our draft recommendations. We have therefore maintained 40
councillors for our final recommendations.
Ward boundaries consultation
25 We received five submissions to our consultation on ward boundaries. These
included a detailed borough-wide proposal from Ribble Valley Borough Council,
which was supported by individual representations from the Ribble Valley
Conservative Association and the Council’s Labour Group. Barrow Parish Council
supported the changes to the representation of its area proposed by the Council.
Bowland Forest Higher Division Parish Council proposed that there be no changes to
the current electoral arrangements for the borough and for its own area in particular.
26 The borough-wide scheme provided for a mixed pattern of one- and two-
councillor wards for Ribble Valley. We carefully considered the proposals received
and concluded that for much of the borough, the proposed wards would have good
levels of electoral equality and generally used parish boundaries.
27 Our draft recommendations were based on the Council’s borough-wide
proposal. In some areas, we considered that the proposals did not provide for the
best balance between our statutory criteria and so we identified alternative
boundaries. We also visited the area in order to look at the various different
proposals on the ground.
28 Our draft recommendations were for 14 two-councillor wards and 12 one-
councillor wards. We considered that our draft recommendations provided for good
electoral equality while reflecting community identities and interests.
Draft recommendations consultation
29 We received 10 submissions during consultation on our draft
recommendations. These included comments by the Council about all parts of the
6borough. The majority of the other submissions focused on specific areas, although
there was no single area which attracted significantly more comment than any other.
30 Based on the evidence received during consultation, we have moved away
from our draft recommendations for the Waddington and Hurst Green areas and we
also recommend West Bradford & Grindleton as the name of the ward for that area.
We make no other modifications to the boundaries or names of our proposed wards.
Final recommendations
31 Pages 8–16 detail our final recommendations for each area of Ribble Valley.
They detail how the proposed warding arrangements reflect the three statutory4
criteria of:
• Equality of representation
• Reflecting community interests and identities
• Providing for effective and convenient local government
32 Our final recommendations are for 14 two-councillor wards and 12 one-
councillor wards. We consider that our final recommendations will provide for good
electoral equality while reflecting community identities and interests where we have
received such evidence during consultation.
33 A summary of our proposed new wards is set out in the table on page 17 and
on the large map accompanying this report.
4 Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
7North
Ward name Number of Cllrs Variance 2022
Bowland 1 -2%
Chatburn 1 -8%
Chipping 1 -3%
Gisburn & Rimington 1 -7%
Waddington, Bashall Eaves &
1 2%
Mitton
West Bradford & Grindleton 1 3%
8Chipping and Gisburn & Rimington
34 The Council proposed that the existing wards in these areas be unchanged. In
our draft recommendations we proposed, however, to replace the name Gisburn,
Rimington with the name Gisburn & Rimington. We received no objection to our draft
recommendations for these areas and therefore confirm them as final.
Bowland and Chatburn
35 The Council proposed a single-member Bowland ward which would differ from
the existing ward by the exclusion of Bowland Forest Lower Division parish and the
inclusion of Sawley parish. The Council also proposed to add the parishes of
Mearley and Worston to the current Chatburn ward.
36 We accepted the Council’s proposal for these wards as part of our draft
recommendations and have received no objection to them. We therefore confirm
them as part of our final recommendations.
Waddington, Bashall Eaves & Mitton and West Bradford & Grindleton
37 The Council proposed a single-member ward composed of the parishes of
West Bradford and Grindleton. Whilst in our draft recommendations we accepted the
suggested boundaries of this ward, we proposed the name West Bradford. The
Council has suggested the name of West Bradford & Grindleton as it reflects the
names of the two villages and communities that make up the proposed ward. The
name also has a historical background. We accept the Council’s proposal as part of
our final recommendations.
38 The Council proposed a single-member ward composed of the parishes of
Waddington, Bashall Eaves, Great Mitton and Little Mitton. This area is currently
represented in three different wards. In our draft recommendations we proposed an
amendment of the Council’s proposal, a ward made up of the parishes of
Waddington, Bashall Eaves and Bowland Forest Lower Division. We considered that
this would better reflect the rural road network than the Council’s proposal.
39 The Council commented that our reflection of the road network was not
sufficient reason to modify its initial proposal, citing instead that keeping strong social
connections together presents a robust case for its own proposal. The Council also
argued that the inclusion of Bashall Eaves, Great Mitton and Little Mitton, which are
served by a joint parish council, in a single borough ward would provide for more
effective representation of the area. Having reflected upon the Council’s submission,
we are persuaded to move away from our draft recommendations. We therefore
propose a Waddington, Bashall Eaves & Mitton ward, the name having been
proposed by the Council.
9South-west
Ward name Number of Cllrs Variance 2022
Alston & Hothersall 2 -10%
Clayton-le-Dale & Salesbury 1 3%
Derby & Thornley 2 4%
Dilworth 2 -9%
Hurst Green & Whitewell 1 -9%
Mellor 2 -6%
Ribchester 1 -1%
Wilpshire & Ramsgreave 2 8%
10Alston & Hothersall, Derby & Thornley, Dilworth and Ribchester
40 The Council proposed that the existing wards for these areas be retained. We
included these wards as part of our draft recommendations and received no
objection to that proposal. We therefore confirm them as final.
Clayton-le-Dale & Salesbury, Mellor and Wilpshire & Ramsgreave
41 We considered that the Council’s initial proposals for these wards would reflect
the pattern of communities and the road network and also provide for acceptable
levels of electoral equality by 2022. We therefore recommended them as part of our
draft recommendations. We received no objection during consultation and therefore
confirm them as final.
Hurst Green & Whitewell
42 The Council proposed a ward comprising Aighton, Bailey & Chaigley, Bowland
Forest Lower Division and Dutton parishes and named Hurst Green & Whitewell.
The proposed ward would be a single-member ward having 9% fewer electors per
councillor than the average for the borough by 2022. Having visited the area, prior to
making our draft recommendations, we considered that Bowland Forest Lower
Division has better linkages to Bashall Eaves and Waddington than to the
communities to the south of Longridge Fell. We therefore proposed the addition of
Great Mitton and Little Mitton to Dutton and Aighton, Bailey & Chaigley parishes to
form a Hurst Green & Mitton ward. This would provide for better electoral equality
than would the Council’s proposal.
43 Whilst we stated that we would be particularly interested to hear local views
about this proposed ward, we received only the view from the Borough Council that it
favoured its initial proposal. The Council submitted that its initial proposal would
provide a pattern of wards which better reflected ties in Bashall Eaves, Great Mitton
and Little Mitton. As described in paragraph 39, we are persuaded to move away
from our draft recommendation. We therefore propose a Hurst Green & Whitewell
ward, the name having been proposed by the Council.
11Clitheroe
Ward name Number of Cllrs Variance 2022
Edisford & Low Moor 2 6%
Littlemoor 2 7%
Primrose 2 6%
Salthill 2 4%
St Mary’s 2 7%
12Edisford & Low Moor, Littlemoor, Primrose, Salthill and St Mary’s
44 The town of Clitheroe is currently represented by five two-member borough
wards. Significant levels of electoral inequality are indicated for wards in the town.
The Council proposed a warding pattern which would modify all of the town’s wards
in order to improve electoral equality whilst reflecting community identities. We did
not consider, however, that the Council’s proposal would go far enough to improve
electoral equality as they included Primrose and St Mary’s wards having 13% and
9% more electors per councillor than the average for the borough respectively, by
2022. We concluded that some minor modifications to the Council’s scheme would
improve electoral equality without impairing a reflection of community identity.
45 In response to our consultation the Borough Council reiterated its initial
proposal. The Council did not address the electoral inequality which would arise in
the period up to 2022 were we to adopt its proposal. It did assert that development
would take place in the Littlemoor area beyond that date. Whilst we have based our
recommendations on forecasts of development in Littlemoor up to 2022, we are
unable to base them on implied developments beyond that date. In order to secure
good electoral equality up 2022 and throughout the town, we confirm as final our
recommendations for Clitheroe.
13Whalley and south-east
Ward name Number of Cllrs Variance 2022
Billington & Langho 2 7%
Brockhall & Dinckley 1 3%
East Whalley, Read &
2 -9%
Simonstone
Sabden 1 -3%
Whalley & Painter Wood 2 6%
Whalley Nethertown 1 -6%
Wiswell & Barrow 2 -6%
14Sabden and Wiswell & Barrow
46 We received no objection to our proposed Sabden ward. Whilst both the
Borough Council and Barrow Parish Council supported our proposals for Wiswell &
Barrow ward, a resident of the area proposed that it be named Barrow with Wiswell,
having regard to the expected future size of Barrow village. However, we note that
our proposed ward name received support from other respondents and we have
therefore decided to confirm our draft recommendations for this area as final.
Billington & Langho and Brockhall & Dinckley
47 In making our draft recommendations, we modified the Council’s initial proposal
for this area in order to improve electoral equality and provide for clearer ward
boundaries based on the railway line and the A59. In response to our consultation,
the Council supported our proposal.
48 Our draft recommendations proposed that part of Billington be included in
Whalley & Painter Wood. The Borough Council supported our draft recommendation
in this respect. Billington & Langho Parish Council opposed the inclusion of any part
of its area in a ward which crosses the River Calder. However, the Parish Council’s
approach would result in Billington & Langho ward having 27% more electors per
councillor than the average for the borough. The other option would be a three-
councillor ward with an electoral variance of 19%. Either approach would result in a
degree of electoral inequality we are not prepared to recommend.
49 A local resident wished Billington to be linked with Great Harwood, a town in
Hyndburn borough. We are unable as part of this review to alter the boundaries of
either Ribble Valley or Hyndburn borough.
50 We therefore confirm, as final, our recommendations for this area.
East Whalley, Read & Simonstone, Whalley & Painter Wood and Whalley
Nethertown
51 The town of Whalley has seen a considerable amount of housing development
in recent years and forecasts show that more is to take place in the coming five-year
period. The growth in housing underlies much of the need for this review.
52 The Council supported our draft recommendation for Whalley Nethertown ward.
A local resident proposed, however, that it be combined with Whalley & Painter
Wood. The resident argued that separate warding would mean that Nethertown
would not be represented as a part of Whalley although wholly dependent on
Whalley for its services. We are not persuaded, however, that the effective
representation of residents’ interests will be hindered and therefore confirm, as final,
our recommendation for Whalley Nethertown.
53 The Council proposed that the rural eastern part of Whalley parish be added to
the current Read & Simonstone ward to improve electoral equality. However, that
proposal would still leave that ward with 14% fewer electors per councillor than the
average for the borough by 2022. The proposal would also result in a parish ward
which we consider to be unviable, having fewer than 100 electors. In our draft
recommendations we proposed that an area to the west of the A671 be included in
15this expanded Read & Simonstone ward. The Council objected to this proposal
arguing that the area lies adjacent to, and shares its identity with, Whalley village.
The Council also argued that residents of the area would have to travel to Read or
Simonstone in order to vote.
54 Whilst we recognise the essence of the Council’s comment with regard to
community identity, we disagree with its interpretation of the impact of our proposal
on polling places. Furthermore, we remain unprepared to recommend a high level of
electoral inequality in Read & Simonstone, and a Whalley parish ward we consider to
be unviable. Our final recommendation therefore is for an East Whalley, Read &
Simonstone ward which includes the site of proposed development at Accrington
Road. Sydney Avenue and The Cloisters will lie in Whalley & Painter Wood ward.
55 We therefore confirm, as final, our recommendations for East Whalley, Read &
Simonstone and Whalley & Painter Wood.
16Conclusions
56 The table below shows the impact of our final recommendations on electoral
equality, based on 2016 and 2022 electorate figures.
Summary of electoral arrangements
Final recommendations
2016 2022
Number of councillors 40 40
Number of electoral wards 26 26
Average number of electors per councillor 1,136 1,201
Number of wards with a variance more 10 0
than 10% from the average
Number of wards with a variance more 1 0
than 20% from the average
Final recommendation
Ribble Valley Borough Council should be made up of 40 councillors serving 26
wards representing 12 single-councillor wards and 14 two-councillor wards. The
details and names are shown in Appendix A and illustrated on the large map
accompanying this report.
Mapping
Sheet 1, Map 1 shows the proposed wards for Ribble Valley.
You can also view our final recommendations for Ribble Valley Borough
Council on our interactive maps at http://consultation.lgbce.org.uk
Parish electoral arrangements
57 As part of an electoral review, we are required to have regard to the statutory
criteria set out in Schedule 2 to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and
Construction Act 2009 (the 2009 Act). The Schedule provides that if a parish is to be
divided between different wards it must also be divided into parish wards, so that
each parish ward lies wholly within a single ward. We cannot recommend changes to
the external boundaries of parishes as part of an electoral review.
58 Under the 2009 Act we only have the power to make changes to parish
electoral arrangements where these are as a direct consequence of our
17recommendations for principal authority warding arrangements. However, Ribble
Valley Borough Council has powers under the Local Government and Public
Involvement in Health Act 2007 to conduct community governance reviews to effect
changes to parish electoral arrangements.
59 We are providing revised parish electoral arrangements for Billington & Langho,
Clitheroe and Whalley.
60 As result of our proposed ward boundaries and having regard to the statutory
criteria set out in schedule 2 to the 2009 Act, we are providing revised parish
electoral arrangements for Billington & Langho parish.
Final recommendation
Billington & Langho Parish Council should comprise nine councillors, as at
present, representing three wards:
Parish ward Number of parish councillors
Langho 5
Old Langho 3
Painter Wood 1
61 As result of our proposed ward boundaries and having regard to the statutory
criteria set out in schedule 2 to the 2009 Act, we are providing revised parish
electoral arrangements for Clitheroe parish.
Final recommendation
Clitheroe Town Council should comprise 10 councillors, as at present,
representing five wards:
Parish ward Number of parish councillors
Edisford & Low Moor 2
Littlemoor 2
Primrose 2
Salthill 2
St Mary’s 2
62 As result of our proposed ward boundaries and having regard to the statutory
criteria set out in schedule 2 to the 2009 Act, we are providing revised parish
electoral arrangements for Whalley parish.
Final recommendation
Whalley Parish Council should comprise nine councillors, as at present,
representing four wards:
Parish ward Number of parish councillors
Lamb Roe 1
Whalley Abbey 5
Whalley East 1
Whalley Nethertown 2
183 What happens next?
63 We have now completed our review of Ribble Valley Borough Council. The
recommendations must now be approved by Parliament. A draft Order – the legal
document which brings into force our recommendations – will be laid in Parliament.
Subject to parliamentary scrutiny, the new electoral arrangements will come into
force at the local elections in 2019.
Equalities
64 This report has been screened for impact on equalities, with due regard being
given to the general equalities duties as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act
2010. As no potential negative impacts were identified, a full equality impact analysis
is not required.
19Appendix A
Final recommendations for Ribble Valley
Number of Variance Number of Variance
Number of Electorate Electorate
Ward name electors per from average electors per from average
councillors (2016) (2022)
councillor % councillor %
Alston &
1 2 2,108 1,054 -7% 2,168 1,084 -10%
Hothersall
Billington &
2 2 2,533 1,267 11% 2,579 1,290 7%
Langho
3 Bowland 1 1,220 1,220 7% 1,172 1,172 -2%
Brockhall &
4 1 1,276 1,276 12% 1,241 1,241 3%
Dinckley
5 Chatburn 1 1,133 1,133 0% 1,104 1,104 -8%
6 Chipping 1 1,110 1,110 -2% 1,170 1,170 -3%
Clayton-le-Dale &
7 1 1,286 1,286 13% 1,236 1,236 3%
Salesbury
8 Derby & Thornley 2 2,325 1,163 2% 2,487 1,244 4%
9 Dilworth 2 2,004 1,002 -12% 2,192 1,096 -9%
East Whalley,
10 Read & 2 2,130 1,065 -6% 2,180 1,090 -9%
Simonstone
20Number of Variance Number of Variance
Number of Electorate Electorate
Ward name electors per from average electors per from average
councillors (2016) (2022)
councillor % councillor %
Edisford & Low
11 2 2,438 1,219 7% 2,545 1,273 6%
Moor
Gisburn &
12 1 1,099 1,099 -3% 1,115 1,115 -7%
Rimington
Hurst Green &
13 1 1,078 1,078 -5% 1,089 1,089 -9%
Whitewell
14 Littlemoor 2 2,291 1,146 1% 2,559 1,280 7%
15 Mellor 2 2,349 1,175 3% 2,256 1,128 -6%
16 Primrose 2 2,233 1,117 -2% 2,545 1,273 6%
17 Ribchester 1 1,241 1,241 9% 1,192 1,192 -1%
18 Sabden 1 1,183 1,183 4% 1,164 1,164 -3%
19 Salthill 2 2,549 1,275 12% 2,490 1,245 4%
20 St Mary’s 2 2,311 1,156 2% 2,563 1,282 7%
Waddington,
21 Bashall Eaves & 1 1,278 1,278 12% 1,228 1,228 2%
Mitton
West Bradford &
22 1 1,288 1,288 13% 1,237 1,237 3%
Grindleton
Whalley & Painter
23 2 1,879 940 -17% 2,544 1,272 6%
Wood
21Number of Variance Number of Variance
Number of Electorate Electorate
Ward name electors per from average electors per from average
councillors (2016) (2022)
councillor % councillor %
Whalley
24 1 1,160 1,160 2% 1,132 1,132 -6%
Nethertown
Wilpshire &
25 2 2,691 1,346 18% 2,586 1,293 8%
Ramsgreave
26 Wiswell & Barrow 2 1,248 624 -45% 2,253 1,127 -6%
Totals 40 45,441 – – 48,027 – –
Averages – – 1,136 – – 1,201 –
Source: Electorate figures are based on information provided by Ribble Valley Borough Council.
Note: The ‘variance from average’ column shows by how far, in percentage terms, the number of electors per councillor in each electoral ward
varies from the average for the borough. The minus symbol (-) denotes a lower than average number of electors. Figures have been rounded to
the nearest whole number
22Appendix B
Outline map
A more detailed version of this map can be seen on the large map accompanying
this report, or on our website: https://www.lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews/north-
west/lancashire/ribble-valley
23Key
1. Alston & Hothersall
2. Billington and Langho
3. Bowland
4. Brockhall & Dinckley
5. Chatburn
6. Chipping
7. Clayton-le-Dale & Salesbury
8. Derby & Thornley
9. Dilworth
10. East Whalley, Read & Simonstone
11. Edisford & Low Moor
12. Gisburn & Rimington
13. Hurst Green & Whitewell
14. Littlemoor
15. Mellor
16. Primrose
17. Ribchester
18. Sabden
19. Salthill
20. St Mary’s
21. Waddington, Bashall Eaves & Mitton
22. West Bradford & Grindleton
23. Whalley & Painter Wood
24. Whalley Nethertown
25. Wilpshire & Ramsgreave
26. Wiswell & Barrow
24Appendix C
Submissions received
All submissions received can also be viewed on our website at
https://www.lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews/north-west/lancashire/ribble-valley
Local Authority
• Ribble Valley Borough Council
Parish and Town Councils
• Barrow Parish Council
• Billington & Langho Parish Council
• Bowland Forest Higher Division Parish Council
• Ribchester Parish Council
Local Residents
• Five local residents
25Appendix D
Glossary and abbreviations
Council size The number of councillors elected to
serve on a council
Electoral Change Order (or Order) A legal document which implements
changes to the electoral
arrangements of a local authority
Division A specific area of a county, defined
for electoral, administrative and
representational purposes. Eligible
electors can vote in whichever
division they are registered for the
candidate or candidates they wish to
represent them on the county council
Electoral fairness When one elector’s vote is worth the
same as another’s
Electoral inequality Where there is a difference between
the number of electors represented
by a councillor and the average for
the local authority
Electorate People in the authority who are
registered to vote in elections. For the
purposes of this report, we refer
specifically to the electorate for local
government elections
Number of electors per councillor The total number of electors in a local
authority divided by the number of
councillors
Over-represented Where there are fewer electors per
councillor in a ward or division than
the average
26Parish A specific and defined area of land
within a single local authority
enclosed within a parish boundary.
There are over 10,000 parishes in
England, which provide the first tier of
representation to their local residents
Parish council A body elected by electors in the
parish which serves and represents
the area defined by the parish
boundaries. See also ‘Town council’
Parish (or Town) council electoral The total number of councillors on
arrangements any one parish or town council; the
number, names and boundaries of
parish wards; and the number of
councillors for each ward
Parish ward A particular area of a parish, defined
for electoral, administrative and
representational purposes. Eligible
electors vote in whichever parish
ward they live for candidate or
candidates they wish to represent
them on the parish council
Town council A parish council which has been
given ceremonial ‘town’ status. More
information on achieving such status
can be found at www.nalc.gov.uk
Under-represented Where there are more electors per
councillor in a ward or division than
the average
Variance (or electoral variance) How far the number of electors per
councillor in a ward or division varies
in percentage terms from the average
27Ward A specific area of a district or
borough, defined for electoral,
administrative and representational
purposes. Eligible electors can vote in
whichever ward they are registered
for the candidate or candidates they
wish to represent them on the district
or borough council
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